Hans Fritzsche’s radio department had strong beliefs in the Nazi Party. It is said that Fritzsche was “a popular commentator”. Hans was the head of his radio division. This division was one of the twelve in Gobbel’s Propaganda Ministry. His IQ was said to be 130, identifying him as intelligent. In the trial he was almost always on the verge of breaking down. He was indicted but was never found guilty for any of the charges that were put against him. He was one of the three people in the entire trial to be acquitted. This means that he was freed without any punishment.
Interview
Lauren: Today I’m here with Hans Fritzsche. Hans Fritzsche was tried at the Nuremburg Trials that were held in Nuremburg, Germany. How are you today Mr. Fritzsche? Fritzsche: I’m good, how are you? Lauren: I’m good. So what was it like to be a popular radio broadcaster? Fritzsche: It’s great. I liked to tell the people what was going on with the war and to tell them how Germany was winning. Lauren: Did you like your job? Fritzsche: I loved my job. Lauren: Who was the guy who ran the radio company you worked for? Fritzsche: Joseph Goebbles. Lauren: Was he a good boss? Fritzsche: Yes he was a good boss and everyone respected him. Lauren: Were you just a broadcaster or were you also a journalist? Fritzsche: I was just a broadcaster. The journalists worked for Goebble’s Propaganda Ministry and they were the only ones who we could get information from. Lauren: Did you agree with what you were reporting? Fritzsche: Yes, because I didn’t know any better at that time. Now I see that this was a very wrong decision to make. Lauren: How many divisions were there in Goebbel’s Propaganda Ministry? Fritzsche: There were twelve divisions in the propaganda ministry but I only worked for one of them. Lauren: Now let’s go to the night before the trial. Were you nervous at all? Fritzsche: Yes I was nervous. I was so nervous that I couldn’t sleep to well and I was pacing back and forth all around my jail cell. Lauren: Why were you so nervous? Fritzsche: I was being tried and could possibly be sentenced to death. Lauren: Now at the actual trial what things were you being accused of? Fritzsche: I was being accused of helping plan war, planning war, and war crimes. Lauren: Wasn’t there a fourth charge that you could have been tried for? Fritzsche: Yes there was. It was for crimes against humanity, but I have never killed anyone. Lauren: How nervous were you when you went up to the stand to tell your side of the story? Fritzsche: I was very nervous when I went up to the stand. People say that I was as white as a ghost. Lauren: Why do you think you were so pale? Fritzsche: I guess I was worried about what kind of sentence I would get, or if I would be found guilty or not. I also was prepared to die for telling all of Germany one big lie. Lauren: What was this lie exactly? Fritzsche: This lie was the thing that made the Nazi’s and Hitler look good. I am now very ashamed of even being part of this because it was so wrong. I’m glad I was tried because I told my side of the story to the world and that was all that I wanted, because people just don’t understand what it was like for me during those five years. If you were never told anything that was right you would have thought that the wrong was right. For anyone young or old this is not a good thing. Lauren: So what did the court decide in your trial? Fritzsche: What do you mean by that? Lauren: I mean did they find you guilty for any of the charges put against you or were you just indicted for them? Fritzsche: No, they never found me guilty. I was only indicted for them. Lauren: That’s good. So what was your sentence? Fritzsche: My sentence was nothing. I was free to go. Lauren: I’m glad that I got to talk to you Mr. Fritzsche. Fritzsche: I’m glad that I got to talk to you too. It was nice to be able to tell all this to someone who might help the world understand all the things that happened during World War Two. Also all the wrong things that people were told and they believed it because they didn’t know any better. Lauren: This is Lauren Sperry from the best news in town, WQSD. Back to you Jim thanks.
After the trials were over Hans Fritzsche was only one out of three people who was freed without a punishment of any kind.
Hans Fritzsche’s radio department had strong beliefs in the Nazi Party. It is said that Fritzsche was “a popular commentator”. Hans was the head of his radio division. This division was one of the twelve in Gobbel’s Propaganda Ministry. His IQ was said to be 130, identifying him as intelligent. In the trial he was almost always on the verge of breaking down. He was indicted but was never found guilty for any of the charges that were put against him. He was one of the three people in the entire trial to be acquitted. This means that he was freed without any punishment.
Interview
Lauren: Today I’m here with Hans Fritzsche. Hans Fritzsche was tried at the Nuremburg Trials that were held in Nuremburg, Germany. How are you today Mr. Fritzsche?
Fritzsche: I’m good, how are you?
Lauren: I’m good. So what was it like to be a popular radio broadcaster?
Fritzsche: It’s great. I liked to tell the people what was going on with the war and to tell them how Germany was winning.
Lauren: Did you like your job?
Fritzsche: I loved my job.
Lauren: Who was the guy who ran the radio company you worked for?
Fritzsche: Joseph Goebbles.
Lauren: Was he a good boss?
Fritzsche: Yes he was a good boss and everyone respected him.
Lauren: Were you just a broadcaster or were you also a journalist?
Fritzsche: I was just a broadcaster. The journalists worked for Goebble’s Propaganda Ministry and they were the only ones who we could get information from.
Lauren: Did you agree with what you were reporting?
Fritzsche: Yes, because I didn’t know any better at that time. Now I see that this was a very wrong decision to make.
Lauren: How many divisions were there in Goebbel’s Propaganda Ministry?
Fritzsche: There were twelve divisions in the propaganda ministry but I only worked for one of them.
Lauren: Now let’s go to the night before the trial. Were you nervous at all?
Fritzsche: Yes I was nervous. I was so nervous that I couldn’t sleep to well and I was pacing back and forth all around my jail cell.
Lauren: Why were you so nervous?
Fritzsche: I was being tried and could possibly be sentenced to death.
Lauren: Now at the actual trial what things were you being accused of?
Fritzsche: I was being accused of helping plan war, planning war, and war crimes.
Lauren: Wasn’t there a fourth charge that you could have been tried for?
Fritzsche: Yes there was. It was for crimes against humanity, but I have never killed anyone.
Lauren: How nervous were you when you went up to the stand to tell your side of the story?
Fritzsche: I was very nervous when I went up to the stand. People say that I was as white as a ghost.
Lauren: Why do you think you were so pale?
Fritzsche: I guess I was worried about what kind of sentence I would get, or if I would be found guilty or not. I also was prepared to die for telling all of Germany one big lie.
Lauren: What was this lie exactly?
Fritzsche: This lie was the thing that made the Nazi’s and Hitler look good. I am now very ashamed of even being part of this because it was so wrong. I’m glad I was tried because I told my side of the story to the world and that was all that I wanted, because people just don’t understand what it was like for me during those five years. If you were never told anything that was right you would have thought that the wrong was right. For anyone young or old this is not a good thing.
Lauren: So what did the court decide in your trial?
Fritzsche: What do you mean by that?
Lauren: I mean did they find you guilty for any of the charges put against you or were you just indicted for them?
Fritzsche: No, they never found me guilty. I was only indicted for them.
Lauren: That’s good. So what was your sentence?
Fritzsche: My sentence was nothing. I was free to go.
Lauren: I’m glad that I got to talk to you Mr. Fritzsche.
Fritzsche: I’m glad that I got to talk to you too. It was nice to be able to tell all this to someone who might help the world understand all the things that happened during World War Two. Also all the wrong things that people were told and they believed it because they didn’t know any better.
Lauren: This is Lauren Sperry from the best news in town, WQSD. Back to you Jim thanks.
After the trials were over Hans Fritzsche was only one out of three people who was freed without a punishment of any kind.
Resourses:
http://books.google.com/books?id=U3cBcf6Zt3wC&lpg=PP1&ots=Fc7sxr17J1&dq=Nuremberg%20Diary&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=false
http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/nuremberg/nuremberg.htm
http://frank.mtsu.edu/~baustin/trials3.html